Pokémon Scarlet and Violet finally received amazing news during August’s Pokémon Presents. Not only did we recieve info on the now named Paldea Region, but also new Pokémon that’ll welcome us, and the many people to guide us along the way.
With tons of information to cover regarding the upcoming Gen 9 games, join us at GNN as we go over everything the new, open-world RPG’s have in store for us.
Scarlet and Violet; Welcome to Paldea!
Sprigatito (Left), Quaxly (Center), and Fuecoco (Right). Image from kotaku.com
Generation 9 introduced us to the new Pokémon region, Paldea. Professors Sada and Turo (Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, respectfully) will be greeting you as you embark on your new adventure. Accompanying you are one of three starters; Sprigatito, Quaxly, and Fuecoco. During your journey, you’ll be assisted by seasoned trainer, Nemona. She’ll teach you how to battle in Paldea, though her Pokéball throws might need a little work.
The Paldea Region, itself, is officially Game Freak’s first open world Pokémon game. This means that players can go wherever they want with few restrictions, and challenge the eight Gym Leaders in any order they choose. A fantastic mechanic and a very welcome addition to the Pocket Monsters franchise!
Moving on, let’s discuss the next part included in Scarlet and Violet: The Academy!
Naranja & Uva Academy:
Naranja (Scarlet) and Uva (Violet) Academy. Image from twinfinite.com
In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, you will be attending your respective Academies. These Academies will reside in the bustling city of Mesagoza. While Scarlet places you at Naranja Academy, Violet will send you to Uva Academy. In addition to these schools, you’ll also be introduced to your new classmates.
Arven, an upper classman, and Penny, your fellow classmate, will be there to chat with you. Arven isn’t great at Pokémon battles, and Penny is quite shy. However, they’re very great to get along with, and will do their best to help you in any way. I even heard Arven is an amazing cook, and works hard to prep meals that’ll make Pokémon happy. The school is open to all ages eager to learn about Pokémon, so you’re classmates will range from various ages.
Director Clavell (Left for Scarlet, Right for Violet). Image from scarletviolet.pokemon.com
Secondly, your school is under the ruling of the strict Director Clavell. Depending on the version you play, he will be wearing a uniform in unison to that game. Despite his strict demeanor, he is known to be a friend to the professor, and is very kind. Clavell is also in charge of the Acadamy’s Treasure Hunt. Although we’re still not sure what this entails, you will be given details as to what to look for during your journey.
Finally, we were introduced to an academy teacher, Professor Jacq. Jacq teaches Pokémon Biology, and helped develop the Pokédex app on the Rotom phone. Here, this device will help you receive information about Paldea’s Pokémon, and their natural habitats.
Speaking of natural habitats, let’s go over the next part of our exploration in Paldea.
The Pokémon of the Paldea Region:
Paldean Wooper, Fidough, and Cetitan. Image from escapistmagazine.com
The announcement for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet also introduced three new Pokémon that populate Paldea alongside Smoliv, Lechonk, and Pawmi. These include:
- Paldean Wooper– Wooper in Paldea have covered themselves in thick, poisonous mud. This is to keep them from drying out, after losing most of their territory in the waters. As a result, it is very slow, becomes a Poison/Ground- type, and spits poison at enemy Pokémon in order to protect itself.
- Fidough– As its name states, this Fairy-type Puppy Pokémon is very soft. Its elastic-like body is smooth to the touch, and inflates it to intimidate opponents. In addition, Fidough’s breath contains traces of Yeast, which allows it to assist in cooking meals.
- Cetitan– The Ice-type Terra Whale Pokémon is quite large. It constantly travels around snowy regions, developing muscles to support its massive body. This results in its attacks to be quite ferocious. Secondly, the horn located on the upper jaw can generate ice energy, causing temperatures to rapidly drop, and the surrounding area to freeze over.
Koraidon and Miraidon:
Koraidon (Left) and Miraidon (Right) used as rideable mounts in Scarlet and Violet. Image from riso.onl
Another interesting update is the fact that both the box legendaries are also your ridable mounts in Paldea. That’s right, these legendary Pokémon can be used to climb, surf, fly, and traverse all over the region. In addition to both legends being mounts, certain modes are acquired. These modes include:
- Koraidon– Sprint, Swim, and Glide Build.
- Miraidon– Drive, Aquatic, and Glide Mode.
With these ways of traveling accesible thorugh these mounts, players can climb, surf, fly, and travere all over Paldea. Of course, it was stated that they will be available for catching late-game. However, I still think it’s nice that Game Freak decided to give us an all-terrain Pokémon instead of multiple.
Scarlet and Violet; Fun For Everyone!
Multiplayer gameplay with up to three friends. Image from gamesradar.com
Multiplayer gameplay will still be available at some point during your travels. What was surprising, though, is that players can also be able to not only interact with one another, but also be able to catch others games’ Pokémon (Scarlet > Violet, or vice versa). By connecting via the Union Circle, players from all over can connect and have fun traversing the Paldea Region together.
However, in order to do so, you must have a paid Nintendo Online Membership. Additionally, connecting to other players can grant you access to both Link Trades and Surprise Trades.
The Terastal Phenomenon:
Eevee gaining the Grass and Water Tera typings. Image from twitter.com
Following your adventure through this new region, you’ll also come across a new battle mechanic known as Terastallize. With this power, your Pokémon will take on a new crystal form, amplifying its typing. In addition, some Pokémon will gain a new typing, allowing it to gain the upper hand in battle. For example, an Eevee could become a Grass or Water-Type. However, these can only be used once per battle, and can only be used while wielding a Tera Ball. Due to the recharge limit, you would have to either come in contact with a Tera Crystal or take your Pokémon to a Center.
In the Multiplayer feature, you and your friends can take on Tera-Raid Battles together. Taking mechanics from Sword and Shield– minus the Dynamax/Gigantimax factors- Pokémon with a Tera typing can be found and battled in Tera Raid Dens. These are found by finding large Tera Crystals scattered through the Paldea Region.
What’s more, taking mechanics from Pokémon Go, you don’t have to wait on your allies, and can attack or heal at any point during the match. After defeating these Pokémon, you can then capture them to add to your team. Secondly, these battles are time-limited. This means you must defeat the Tera Pokémon within a certain time limit. Lastly, you can also do cheering at any point during the match in order to perform one of three actions:
- Raise allies Attack or Sp. Attack.
- Raise allies Defense or Sp. Defense.
- Heal all allies.
By utilizing these mechanics during these special battles, you and your friends can turn the tide of battle in your favor.
When Can I Obtain Pokémon Scarlet and Violet?
Flying-Type Tera Pikachu gift with preorder. Image from nintendosoup.com
The games will officially be available on November 18th. The preorder for both games are now available at your participating stores, and the Nintendo E-Shop. In addition, if you preorder the game, you’ll be gifted with a special Flying Tera-Type Pikachu that knows the move Fly.
If you preorder the games on the Nintendo E-Shop, you’ll be able to recieve the Pikachu, as well as:
- 10 Potions.
- 5 Full Heals.
- 3 Revives and Ethers.
- 1 Rare Candy.
- 1 Nugget.
And finally, if you preorder the double pack for both games, you will further recieve two codes (one for each game) containing 100 Pokéballs.
And that’s everything this month’s Pokémon Presents showcased for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. If you would like to share your thoughts on the upcoming Generation 9 games, leave a comment down below. We’d love to hear from you. Also, be sure to check out our Facebook page, as we like to keep our viewers up-to-date on all the happenings.
Here’s to another exciting Pokémon adventure, fellow trainers! And, as always, Stay Geeky!
